How to get your client stronger faster (ultimate hackers guide)

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Hi there fellow fitness enthusiasts! I'm Suz Baxter, with PhD from the School of Physiotherapy Otago, here to share some wisdom on why strength is more than just bulging muscles and how you, as personal trainers, can use this knowledge to elevate your clients' fitness journey.

If you want to learn more lock in a mentorship or a PT workshop. Or simply send me a message and we can get you sorted.

Let's get one thing straight. Everyone, regardless of age, can become stronger with consistent effort. You've probably seen it before, clients who are all about the talk but falter when it comes to action. They dream of possessing a top-tier Porsche but are unwilling to do what's necessary to achieve it. The same holds true for strength. To be truly strong requires a plan and a commitment to see it through. This is where you come in. Your role is to guide your clients to make their dreams a real

In the fitness world, we often hear about quick fixes for strength and body sculpting. Let's dispel this myth together. It's your job to remind your clients that achieving strength takes effort and time, and that genetics isn't a scapegoat for lack of progress.

Here's a truth that needs more emphasis: strength is a skill.

It's the ability to generate more tension in muscles, serving as the foundation for speed, endurance, and even flexibility. As trainers, you can teach your clients the techniques to develop this skill. To this end, I'll be sharing a few effective methods with you that I've utilized with great success in my practice. But remember, they only work if you consistently apply them in training.

Before we delve in, I'd like to pay homage to Pavel Tsatsouline, whose writings on strength training secrets have been a great source of inspiration for me.

Let's jump right in:

Irradiation: This concept might sound complex, but trust me, even a five-year-old can understand it. Here's an experiment: try a 5-6 repetition bicep curl set, maintaining good form and keeping the elbow close to the body. After a brief rest, repeat the process but this time add three steps: squeeze the dumbbell or barbell tightly; clench your glutes as if cracking a nut; and tense your abs as if preparing for a Mike Tyson punch. Doing this, you'll find that the weight seems lighter, and you're